How Life Changes
by znp
Summary: Another Squall and Rinoa romance (sigh, I can't help it) Please read and REVIEW ** All chapters have been updated. There were tiny things wrong that have changed that you probably wouldn't have noticed, but they are all better now! (i hope!)**
1. Life, Perfect Life...

Body This is my very **first** fan fic, so I hope it's ok! I haven't finished the game, so sorry if things are wrong. I don't understand the time compression part either, so my story doesn't compensate it. I don't own any characters or final fantasy, blah, blah. ( I wish I did though!!) In all my stories " "-speech, { }-thought [ ]-input from me! Anyways, on with the story!!

**It's 2 years since the end of FF8. ** 

How Life Changes - **Chapter 1** 

The world outside his window was warm and inviting. Beckoning him to bask in the vivid surroundings of light, sounds and people. He felt a small hand on his shoulder. He turned to see his most precious treasure, his love, his life. A warm feeling swept over him as he thought about what that future held. He was finally together with Rinoa. The only reason for his existence. No one was as beautiful as her. The sun was envious of her radiance. Her presence could light up any room. 

"Squall, Hon" she said lovingly. "We've got a call" 

Rising from his chair, Squall took Rinoa's hand and walked into their family room. It was full of photos of Rinoa and Squall taken all around the world. There was a photo of them at Balamb Garden, then in Trabia and even on board the Ragnarok 

There were expensive portraits and even paintings of them together. There was no doubt that they were in love. 

Squall looked towards the wall sized screen. With the press of a button, their dear friend Selfie appeared on the screen. He leaned over to the microphone that was upon the table. 

"Hey Selfie!" He exclaimed with a sincere smile. 

"Hey Squall. Hi Rinoa! How've ya's both 'bin goin' ?" Asked Selfie, returning the smile. 

"We're both fine thanks" Rinoa replied. "How has your life been going?" 

As the girls chatted for a while, Squall watched Rinoa's every move. He was contented just being in near her. A smile crept over his face as he remembered the moment he proposed to his beautiful wife, wishing he could do it over and over again. The excitement in her voice gave him such joy. He couldn't stand not to hear it. He overheard little snippets of the girls' conversation. 

".....Not too much longer, hey?" 

".....Your so lucky...." 

"......I've never been happier....." 

Squall tuned in and started listening. 

"So, I'll expect the both of you in two months time for my Christmas party, OK?" Selfie asked. 

"Yep. That sounds great! I'll see you then!" Rinoa beamed. 

"Alrighty-o then! Cat ya's all lata!" Slanged Selfie in her usual tone. 

Squall was happy to have seen his dear friend, but he was glad that the two of them were alone once more. 

"Sweetie? I'm just going up to my studio ok. I'll be back down at 6pm to help you with dinner?" Squall called out as he started to walk up the stairs. 

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Squall was usually alone when he came to his studio. Rinoa knew it was his ALONE time. She was allowed to go in the studio, he just preferred to work alone. Some people just never change. Once a lone fighter, still a lone fighter. It was in this room that Squall gathered all of his thoughts. He thought back to Rinoa and Selfie's conversation earlier. Rinoa said she had never been happier. But to Squall, it seemed like she was lying. Come to think of it, for the last 3 weeks, she had been unhappy for no reason. He pondered for a while longer, then decided he needed to get to work on his painting. That's right, PAINTING. Squall retired from SeeD 2 years ago so he could spend his life with Rinoa without having to worry about getting hurt or killed in a war. Since then he has found a passion for painting. [Yes, PAINTING!!] And he was good at it too. On the wall directly in front of his easel was a huge portrait of Rinoa that he had painted. Rinoa loves that painting, but Squall doesn't want it to be moved. She is his motivation and the painting helps that bit more. The wall behind where he sat was covered with books. A huge book shelf covered the wall. It was full of books about junctioning, magic, limits and some ancient type of magic called materia. The other two walls were covered in a mural that he painted. It showed Rinoa kneeling at the edge of their lake at sunset, showing Balamb and Balamb Garden in the distance. It had taken him nearly 2 years to finish it, but it gave him great satisfaction. 

Looking at his watch, Squall realized he had just spent an hour doing nothing but thinking. It was nearly six, so returned down stairs to help his beautiful wife. As he silently appeared at the bottom of the stairs, he saw Rinoa. She was talking to someone on the vidi-fone, but it wasn't Selfie. Squall couldn't quite see who, but he could see Rinoa's face. She had a been crying for a while because her voice was quavering and her eyes were really red. Not wanting to be rude, he went the long way to the kitchen, so Rinoa's call wouldn't be interrupted. He was opening the capsule holder as she appeared in the kitchen. She had been to their room and put make-up on, because her eyes weren't as red. 

"What are you so upset about?" He asked as he got glasses of ice-cold water out of the tap. 

"Nothing. Well, something, but I'll tell you after we eat" she replied, trying hard not to cry. 

Squall handed Rinoa a roast dinner capsule and a glass of water. They both swallowed their tablets. [new food technology!! Traditional food is still made, but the pills are for convinience] Rinoa burst out into a smile as a stream of water came out of the side of Squall's glass, leaving a trail of water down his chin and clothes. 

{She never could resist my charm and perfection} Squall thought to himself. 

"Let's go to the park" Rinoa laughed. 

Squall obediently followed Rinoa into the entertainment room. They sat in the periwinkle blue love seat and put on their seat belts. All of a sudden, the room started to change. It looked exactly like the park in Balamb. It WAS the park in Balamb. 

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Do you like this so far? PLEASE READ & **REVIEW**!!! The more reviews, the more I write. Thanks 

"Rock On Final Fantasy" - Zidane's NEW Princess 


	2. A Sudden Sad Change...

Body Finally got chapter 2 up. Sorry it took so long! Chapter 3 is coming now! Like in all my stories " "-speech, { }-thought [ ]-input from me! 

Enjoy! 

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**How Life Changes - Chapter 2**

****

Balamb Park was great. Squall was producing all his usual lame jokes that either didn't make sense or were just plain stupid, but Rinoa just sat there, staring out at the small children playing in the park. 

"Look honey. Just tell me what's wrong. It's hurts me to see you so sad. Have I done anything wrong?" Squall asked. As Rinoa looked up at Squall, she began to cry and threw herself into his arms. 

"It's not you" she sobbed. "It's me. Im......LATE" She cried even harder. [Think girl problems here] 

"What do you mean? Oh..LATE......Why is that bad?" 

"The doctor thinks I might have cancer" Rinoa sobbed into Squall's shoulder. She couldn't bare to even think of leaving his side. "That's why I was crying earlier" Squall didn't know what to say or do, so he just hugged her even tighter. He tilted her head so he could look deep into her eyes. He wiped a tear from her face. 

"I love you more than anything" he whispered. "We'll get through this" 

When it got too cold to stay out, they got back on their couch [New world transport can be fitted in anything, including couches] and traveled home. 

Squall barely slept all night. He watched Rinoa as she slept. Normally he watched her screw up her face or he'd tickle her nose, and chuckle as she tried to push him away as she slept. But tonight was different, she was sleeping odd. Her face was still red from her tears, and she had the most frightened look on her face. Squall couldn't lose her, he wouldn't lose her. After finally learning to love and trust again, he was never going to let her go. 

After finally falling asleep, Squall awoke to find his love curled next him, grasping his arm ever so tightly. He noticed how stressed she looked and gently stroked her soft hair. He quickly lifted his hand away as he felt how hot she was. He could feel how fast and hard her heart was beating. 

"Rinoa sweetie...." He shook her gently to wake her. With no response, he tried again with slightly more force, but to no avail. 

"Rinoa! WAKE UP!" He nearly pushed her off the bed with the amoun of force he was using. His heart raced faster with the fear of not knowing what to do while his beloved was in trouble. He raced to the phone and called Dr Kadowaki, who came over immediately. 

By the time Squall returned to his room, Rinoa had calmed down enormously. He grabbed a face towel with cool water and gently dabbed at her face, desperately trying to cool her down. Squall tore the rugs off her and stroked her face. Her silk garment which barely passed as clothing was dripped in sweat. A wave of pain rushed over Rinoa's face, leaving Squall desperate to help her in anyway. As the Dr burst through the door, a relief flooded over him. 

After a serious examination, Dr Kadowaki gave Rinoa a dose of morphine to help with the pain and some sleeping weed to relax her. 

"Has Rinoa been upset over anything lately?" Dr Kadowaki asked Squall. 

"Yeah..." Squall, close to tears continued his story. "She's been seeing this new doctor in town. Can't remember his name, but he said she might...she might..have...cancer.Oh, I don't know what to do!" Dr Kadowaki opened her arms, and Squall responded by sobbing into her shoulder. When Squall had settled down, he tried to return to his former unemotional self, but he couldn't. 

"I need to tell you something about Rinoa. The reason why she wouldn't wake up is because she had stressed herself out so much, that she threw a panic attack while she was sleeping" Dr Kadowaki continued. "Somehow though, I don't like the sound of this new doctor. Rinoa should wake in a half hour. I think the first face she sees should be yours. Would you be able to bring Rinoa to the Garden then so I can do my own tests please?" Squall agreed and Dr Kadowaki left. 

Squall returned to his room in a daze of wonder. {Why does this have to happen to us?} he asked silently as he lowered himself on the bed next to his beautiful wife. He gently placed his head on her small, soft stomach and cried out softly to the silence. Squall awoke as Rinoa gently stirred in her sleep. 

"Rinoa, babe. It's me Squall. Please wake up?" he whispered desperately. She gently fluttered her deep eyes as they adjusted to the brightness of day. "Your OK!" Squall threw himself at Rinoa and hugged her tightly. 

"Hey..." She whispered weakly. 

"Babe, you gotta not stress so much. The Doc said you threw a panic attack. I was so scared and I didn't know what to do" Squall's flustered. "I thought I might...lose you" he whispered. Rinoa slowly reached up to touch his face. It seemed to take up a lot of her energy. 

"I won't ever leave you...." she promised. 

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Do you like it so far? PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! 

Rock on Final Fantasy!! 


	3. The Long And Tiresome Wait...

Body All reviews are greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, I don't own any of the characters in my story so far. Maybe later I'll add my own. Like always " "-speech, { }-thought, [ ]-input from me 

How Life Changes - Chapter 3 

Squall sat patiently next to Rinoa in the waiting room, softly stroking her hair with one hand, holding a bag in his other. Squall noticed Rinoa's worried face and whispered sweet words into her delicate ear. She gave a slight chuckle, then rested her head on Squall's shoulder. 

"Rinoa, the doctor will see you now" the receptionist called from her desk. Squall shot up and helped Rinoa to stand. She was still quite weak from the sleeping weed and her attack. 

"Come in Rinoa. Just take a seat over here" 

Squall eagerly listened to the doctor's words and paid as much attention as he possibly could. Dr Kadowaki explained that she would take some blood tests to see if there's anything wrong. After she had taken Rinoa's blood, all they could do was wait. 

"It could take up to 6 hours to get the results back" the doctor told them. "Go enjoy the day then come back later. 

As the couple were walking out the door, Squall decided to amuse Rinoa by making a fool out of himself by walking into the glass door. She gave a slight smile, but it was not the response he wanted, he wanted her eyes to sparkle, her face be happy and her hair to dance around her face like it used to. 

"Let's go to the Ice-Creamery!!" Squall cried out just as a 5 year old would. Squall ran to the ice-cream shop, dragging Rinoa as he went. Rinoa just asked for a small soft serve, but Squall had a huge triple-decker cone with EVERYTHING on it. Squall opened his bag, careful not to show Rinoa it's contents and payed for the ice-creams. The couple sat on the grass in the park across the road. There was a mother and child nearby. As Rinoa gently took nips at her ice-cream, Squall shoved his into his face making a mess everywhere. Squall was making a bigger mess than the small boy near by. Squall had some in his hair, on his forehead and all around his mouth. 

"You really are enjoying that, aren't you" Rinoa gave a slight chuckle. 

{Yeah!} Thought Squall. {I'm finally getting somewhere!} The mother made a swift exit with her child. 

"Look, you even scared a grown woman and her child away!" Rinoa smiled at her soul mate. 

"Oh im uimmim mo mllmksdf" Squall said with a mouth full of ice-cream. 

"What?!?" Asked a confused Rinoa. Squall beckoned her over, so she sat right in front of him. 

Squall shoved his ice-cream straight into Rinoa's sad face, making sure he fully smushed it in. Rinoa gave a shriek of shock. She responded by shoving her ice-cream into chest. There was a big enough opening in his shirt, just under his chin, so she smushed it all over him [There wasn't much point in shoving it into his face, it was already covered with ice-cream!!] Squall reached for the bag he had been protecting all day and exposed it's contents. 

"Eat this!!" Rinoa squealed as Squall covered her in shaving cream. She wiped her face and threw it back at him. 

"Give me that!!!" She laughed as she snatched the can and gave Squall what he deserved. Rinoa saw her opportunity and pinned Squall to the ground. 

"Ha! You're not so tough now are you!" She gently sat on his hard muscular stomach. She reached down and wiped the shaving cream of his luscious lips and gave them a tender kiss. Squall slid his hand up to her neck and cupped the side of her face. 

They lay side by side, staring up at the sky. Rinoa had that gorgeous smile back on her face and Squall was contented that his plan had worked. 

"I love you" they both said in unison, then giggled. "Sweetie" Squall said, suddenly serious. "I don't want to ruin our wonderful day, but we really do have to be getting back" 

"I know" she replied sadly. 

*ring ring* [I bet you can guess that's a phone!] 

"Hello?" Squall said as he answered his cellular. "Uh ha. Yep. Ok then. See you soon. That's wonderful!!! We'll be right there! Bye!" 

"What was that about?" Asked Rinoa curiously. 

"It's definitely not cancer!!!" Squall picked up his delicate love and spun her round. 

"Ohhh. I'm so relieved!" Rinoa sighed. "We'd better get back to Garden then!" As Rinoa began to walk off without Squall, he raced past her, picking her up as he went and threw her over his shoulder. 

"You're staying like this all the way to Garden!!" He laughed. 

The waiting room was empty, so the couple went straight in. 

"I'm sure Squall has already told you the wonderful news that it's not cancer, but we're not out of the danger zone yet. We know there's something wrong, but all my tests have come back negative. I'll try some others, but I don't really know what to do" the Dr continued. "I'll need to do the tests now, so up on the bed please Rinoa" 

[A tedious hour had passed and the results had just came through for Rinoa's test.] 

"The good news is, we have found out what it is. But I don't think the results are what you expected" Rinoa tensed as she prepared herself for the worst, while Squall held her tight 

"The reason why you have been having problems is....." 

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Do you want to know what it is?? Is the suspense killing you?!? Then please review my story and I'll post the *already completed* chapter 4! I'm aiming for at least 5 more reviews before it gets posted. Love from ~Zidane's NEW Princess~ 


	4. A Question Finally Answered...

Body Hey guys. I'm back again. I was thinking I was gonna stuff all the reviewers up and have something like the doc gets shot, So they never know, or it's an alien growing inside her (or something lame like that!), but I'm continuing with my original plan. Pull up a chair, grab a drink and get comfy as you enjoy chapter 4. P.S. Thanks to the reviewers. You guys/gals rock!!! Anyways, on with the story!! Like always " "-speech, { }-thought, [ ]-input from me 

** How Life Changes ** - Chapter 4 

"You and Squall are going to become parents..." Dr Kadowaki let her words sink in before continuing. "In every other way, you in tip-top condition Rinoa. There are no signs so far to suggest a complicated pregnancy or birth" 

"I-I'm g-g-gonna be a ......dad?!?" Squall stuttered, still in shock. Rinoa searched Squall face for clues to his further reactions. 

{Oh! I can't believe I'm pregnant... Oh no! Squall! How is he gonna react?} Rinoa thought to herself. {The look on his face isn't a happy one. What if he doesn't want this baby? What if he leaves me?!?!} Squall noticed Rinoa's frightened face and how she was shaking all over. He hugged her in approval of the event. Rinoa slightly relaxed, but hugging her didn't prove anything. {Maybe he's hugging me because he feels sorry for me} 

"I'll leave you two alone to discuss the matter" Dr Kadowaki announced as she departed the room. 

"Oh Lord! What am I going to do?!?" Rinoa cried out. She buried her face in her hands and began to cry. 

"No Sweetie. You've got it all wrong" Squall informed her. Rinoa looked up with a puzzled look on her tearful face. "It's not what YOU are going to do, it's what WE are going to do" He pulled her close into his chest for a warm embrace. 

"Does this mean you'll stay with me?" Rinoa asked between her whimpers. 

"Of course! What ever gave you the idea that I wouldn't!" He exclaimed, shocked at Rinoa's question. 

"I just thought that maybe you weren't ready yet. I'm scared" she confessed, burying her face into his shirt. 

"I would never do that to you my love. NEVER. We'll take what ever life throws at us. Be it good or bad" he laughed at the formality in his voice, then held his wife close. "Lets go home" Rinoa nodded in agreement and headed out the door. As they exited Garden, Squall spotted Dr Kadowaki. The doctor motioned them over, so they did. 

Dr Kadowaki examined Rinoa's tear-stained face. "Have you came to a decision?" She asked the couple. Rinoa and Squall exchanged glances and with a nod Squall told her that they were keeping the baby. "That's great! You're going to need frequent check-ups Rinoa. Even though that other doctor is closer to you, I strongly suggest that you stay away from him. I would be quite happy to continue being your doctor" Rinoa agreed. They said their goodbyes, then the couple headed to the car park. Squall drove home carefully, deep in thought. 

{I can't believe I'm going to be a father. At least I'm going to share this baby with the one woman I truly love.... What if I'm a bad father? I don't have a clue about babies! What about my art? Does this mean I must give up my painting? My true passion, second to Rinoa} 

"Well. It looks like we're home" Squall said, finally breaking the silence. Squall opened the door for his lady just as any gentleman would. She thanked him as she walked into their house. "Hey!!! We're going to have to create nursery! That's going to be so much fun!!" Squall exclaimed with a little too much enthusiasm. He sprinted up the stairs, but stumbled, tripped and smacked his jaw on the step. Rinoa let out a gasp, but Squall stood up with a cheesy grin on his face. Rinoa slowly followed him upstairs and retreated to their bedroom. She let her body flop onto the bed and released a sigh. Squall, who had been in the next room, raced into their bedroom and leaped onto their water bed, causing Rinoa to be tossed about. She didn't even hint a smile at his stupidity. Normally it was Squall telling Rinoa not to be so childish, but because he was trying to cheer her up, all of his maturity flew out the window. 

"Please cheer up babe. What are you so worried about? I've already told you that I'm not going to leave you! Please open up your heart to me...like you've taught me to" Squall sat up against the headboard of the bed. He gently dragged Rinoa's body towards him and placed her head on his chest. 

" Do you 'member when we first met? At the graduation ball. You looked so gorgeous that night. I remember thinking to myself that you were nice. It wasn't a really flattering comment for you, but back then that was the most a girl could get from me. Now look at me! Married to a goddess, who's carrying my child. I've never been happier in my entire life!" Rinoa gave a slight smile as her husband poured out his heart to her. "We've had a long day hon. Lets just get some sleep hey?" He kissed her forehead as he turned out the light. "I'll always be here for you...." He whispered as she ventured into the world of dreams. 

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Rinoa awoke the next morning in a much better mood. She was almost her normal self. 

"Good morning babe!" She exclaimed cheerfully as Squall awoke. "It's a beautiful day outside! Why don't you keep working on that painting of the forest you were doing?" She opened the curtains and the windows. A warm summers breeze glided through the windows. 

Reluctant to leave the warm bed, Squall sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I'm just gonna have a shower, ok sweetie?" Rinoa called from their ensuite. Squall silently got out of bed, tossing off his clothes as he went. He slinked into the bathroom where he saw her beautiful naked body, blurred by the shower glass. Silently, he slipped into the shower behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach. 

"Did ya miss me? I missed you too much, so I had to come join yo-" Squall cut himself off as he noticed Rinoa had been crying again. "Oh... Sweetie. Come on. Out you hop" he soothed as he helped her out the shower. Both wrapped in towels, Squall led Rinoa to their walk-in closet. "What do you want to wear?" His eyes searched through her clothing. "What about this?!?" He cooed as he pulled out a black leather cat-suit. He wiggled his eyebrows as he spoke. Rinoa playfully hit him over the head. Rinoa walked towards the rack of clothes and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt that said 'BITE ME!' on the front. Squall donned a pair of jeans and a Jim Beam shirt. 

"Right sweetie" Squall said to his love. "We need to talk. What are WE going to do?" [He emphasized the WE due to their previous conversation.] 

"We should get started on the nursery. The room next to ours is perfect. How would you like to do the painting?" Rinoa asked. 

"How will I know what colours to choose? I don't even know if it's a boy or girl!" 

"Dr Kadowaki can tell us the sex of the baby later. That means the painting must be left for later. Do you wanna go baby accessory shopping instead?" She asked suddenly excited. Squall nodded and they headed off to Balamb. 

After returning home with a car full of purchases, Squall got to work with setting them up. The crib was no problem, neither was the baby-bouncer, but the changing table-that was a different story. Squall cursed out loud as it continually fell apart, or as something dropped on his foot. 

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They say that time flies when your having fun. Well that must also apply when your in love because for Squall it seemed everything was moving way too fast and he was struggling to keep up. In no time at all it was December 24th and time to head to Selphie's party / sleep over. [It was mentioned in chapter one if you can't remember!!] Rinoa and Squall had decided to keep her pregnancy as a surprise for when they arrived. Her stomach which was usually flat as a wall, was now almost perfectly round. The naturally thin girl was finding it hard to handle her ever growing 'bump'. 

Squall nervously pressed Selphie's doorbell while holding a shuddering Rinoa in his other arm. Selphie's shriek of joy as she opened the door startled Rinoa, but Squall was expecting it. 

"Selphie! I missed you so much!" He gave her a hug, but she quickly pulled away as she shrieked again. 

"Rinoa!!! Your... PREGNANT!!!!!" She screamed gleefully so all the other party members could hear. She tenderly pulled her close for a hug. "Now both of you come inside before you catch a cold!" Rinoa fumbled for Squall's hand and relaxed when she found it. "Guys! Rinoa and Squall are here!" 

"He-hey! Cloud my man! Was been up!" Squall exclaimed when his dear friend Cloud Strife, came into view. 

"Nothin man, just chillin. But obviously YOU'VE been busy" he laughed, noticing Rinoa's outwards stomach. 

"Cloud! Don't speak so rudely to our dear friends!" Tifa Strife ordered jokingly. "Rinoa sweetie. Look at you... Congratulations!" She gingerly pulled Rinoa close for a hug. Cloud gave Rinoa a quick kiss on the lips [as friends of course!!!], but swiftly stopped as he saw Tifa start to fume. She just fired back, by embracing Squall in a deep hug and a slight peck on the cheek. "Squall, love. Look how you've grown. You're a man now" Squall laughed off Tifa's comment as a small group of youngsters came bolting around the corner. 

"Aunty 'Noa!! Uncle Squall!!! You're here!!" Aeris Strife [Yes, they named their first kid after Aeris], the oldest of the group congratulated Rinoa and Squall then raced away squealing. The rest of the tribe followed except for Ben Strife, the youngest. He shyly entwined himself through his mother's legs. 

"Mummy. What's wrong wif Aunty 'Noa's tummy. Has she gotta big boo-boo?" He asked sounding seriously concerned. 

"No sweetie" She replied lovingly. "A little baby is growing inside her tummy. Remember how we saw the little babies at the hospital?" 

"Aunty' Noa's havin a baby!! Where's yours Uncle Scall?" 

Squall laughed at the way the youngster pronounced his name. 

"Aunty Rinoa and Me, Uncle SQUALL are going to share this baby." He emphasized his name in an effort to get Ben to pronounce it properly. 

"Oh. Ok. Thanks Uncle Scall!" With that, he ran off after the others bragging that he knew a secret about his aunty. Cloud laughed at his beautiful children. 

"See what wonderful things you have to look forward to" Cloud laughed again as they all made their way to banquet table. 

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Pretty long chapter hey!! It's almost 1 am right now and I got so carried away I almost forgot to stop! Anyways, Please ** Review ** I need your reviews because they are my inspiration. With out you guys, there would be no point in writing! Thanks to everyone that has already reviewed! You guys rule!!!! Thanks for the kind words! 

Lots of Love from 

~Zidane's NEW Princess~ 


	5. Rinoa, the natural...

Body Thanks to everyone that has reviewed! You guys are so kind! The compliments about my story make me blush. Thanks to everyone who has helped me with my story and special thanks to my HUGE poster of Zidane in my room for my inspiration. Answering the question from [Optical Goddess][1], Rinoa has never been pregnant before and it's all very new and confusing, especially the hormones and changes inside. To [Mystikal Squall][2] , don't worry. The one thing I will never do in this story is kill off my main characters! Like usual " " speech, { } thought [ ] input from me. 

I'd better stop blabbing and let you read my favourite story. (that I've written anyways. There are heaps of better ones out there! * hints to her favourites list *) 

How Life Changes ** Chapter 5 ** 

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It was starting to get late, so Tifa announced to her 3 little ones that it was time for bed. After all, it WAS Christmas Eve and Santa was coming! Eventually all of the guests and children went home which just left the small bunch of dear friends. 

"Mum! [I'm aussie, so there's gonna be no MOM] Do we have to?" Aeris whined. "I still wanna talk to everyone!" 

"Everyone else has gone home now except for us, Aunty Rinoa, Uncle Squall and Aunty Selphie of course" 

"Well," Rinoa started. "I'll tell you what. If you go upstairs and get ready for bed, I'll read you all a bedtime story. Would you like that Aeris?" Rinoa didn't get a reply because the little girl had already sprinted to the stairs. 

"Yes, please Aunty 'Noa" Ben shyly held his hands behind his back. 

"I would like it too!" Said Timmy, the middle Strife. 

"Thanks you two. Go catch Aeris up and I'll be up in a minute" 

"Geez! Looks like SOMEONE doesn't need any practise. It takes me forever to get them bed normally!" Tifa laughed and everyone else joined in. 

"See you soon honey" Rinoa called to Squall as she disappeared up the stairs. 

"I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm off to bed too" a sleepy Selphie called as she followed Rinoa. 

As Rinoa opened the door to the bedroom, she took in the visual feast. A warm feeling swept over her as picked up Aeris's doll on the floor. As Rinoa handed it to her, the little girl pointed to the bookshelf. 

"You can pick Aunty Rinoa" Aeris smiled. 

"What about this one?" Rinoa asked while she carefully took the book from its place. 

"YEAH!" The children cried as she showed them 'The Life and Adventures of Garnet Til Alexandros 17th'. 

The 3 children and Rinoa all snuggled into the queen size bed. Rinoa checked that they were all warm, then began to read the story. 

"A very long time ago, in a forgotten kingdom, Queen Garnet lived with her hero named Zidane. They had been on many adventures together in the past and had grown close over the years. As Queen Garnet was relaxing in her bed, she thought of one particular adventure. The adventure where she had first met Zidane...." [The story continues for a while] 

Rinoa stopped reading and gazed down at the 3 children. All were asleep except for Aeris. 

"Please don't stop Aunty Rinoa. This is my favourite story!" Aeris smiled sweetly as she snuggled close to her Aunty. Rinoa nodded and returned to the story. 

"Garnet had realized that she had fallen in love with Zidane. Every moment they were apart, felt like an eternity for her, but when they were together, her heart raced and she often blushed at the things he did-" Aeris cut her off. 

"Is that what it's like for you and Uncle Squall?" Aeris asked. Rinoa smiled as her true love's face appeared in her mind. She nodded. 

"Luckily, we're hardly ever apart. I remember when we were younger- oh sorry. I'm getting sidetracked" Rinoa picked up the book that was in her lap and searched for the part she was up to. 

"Can you tell me a story about you and Uncle Squall when you were younger?" Aeris asked as she took the book from Rinoa and placed it on the floor. 

"If you want, but I will probably babble on. Are you sure?" Aeris nodded. "OK" 

** Flash Back To That Night ** 

She was just 18. It was Squall and Rinoa's one year anniversary. [Sorry if her age is wrong, but I can't remember!] He had just taken her out to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in all of Balamb and they walking through the park. It was cold so he had given her his jacket. He had been acting odd all night. He told Rinoa later that it was nerves, but at the time she didn't know. When they had reached Squall's designated place, he told her to sit. She looked around and noticed how beautiful the surrounds were. There was a stream to the left of her, but something made her look up. It was a shooting star. 

"It's beautiful" Rinoa said in awe. 

"Not as beautiful as you" Squall replied. "Here. I've been meaning to give this to you all night" He nervously thrusted a small velvet box into Rinoa's hand. As she opened it, a beautiful diamond ring gazed up at her. On both sides of the diamond, two tiny blue topaz gems snuggled in close. [Rinoa toyed with the ring on her finger as she told Aeris the story] She asked him what it was for. "It's so you will always remember me, this place and tonight......" [corny, I know, but it's sweet] 

** End Flash Back ** 

Eventually Rinoa and Aeris became too tired to stay awake any longer and dozed off. 

Downstairs, Cloud and Squall had engaged in an arm wrestle contest. Both had been struggling for a while, but neither one was about to give up. Tifa walked around behind Cloud and gave Squall a slight wink. She dove her hands straight into Cloud's hips and began to tickle him furiously. Squall won with ease and stood up and began to pose and tense all his muscles. 

"That's not fair!" Cloud protested. He playfully picked Tifa up and threw her over his shoulder. "Now it's time for you to pay!! I'm gonna throw you in the rubbish bin!!" 

"Noooo!!!! Cloud that's GROSS!!!!" Tifa kicked and screamed, but she did not win. Cloud placed her down on the grass in the front yard. He held out his hand to pull her up, but she pulled too hard and threw him down. She took her opportunity and sprinted to the house. She closed and locked the door leaving Cloud outside. 

"Please let me inside! It's freezing!!" After 5 more minutes, Tifa let him in. 

Squall felt slightly left out as he looked on, so he went to find his love. He quietly opened the door and peaked inside. He looked around the room with an expressionless face, until his eyes fell upon Rinoa. He breathed in the magnificent sight. Aeris had snuggled up to Rinoa's hip and Rinoa had her arm protectively around Aeris. The two boys snuggled to her other hip and she hugged them too. It looked so natural. He softly walked over to her and loomed above her face. 

"Rinoa..." He kissed her head and gently stroked her face. "I love you. Keep sleeping peacefully" he whispered as he left the room. 

By the time Squall had returned down stairs, Tifa had just let Cloud inside. 

"Rinny's asleep with the kids, so I'll just take the couch" 

"It folds out into a bed anyway. Selphie said there are spare rugs in the closet if you get cold" Tifa told him. 

"Thanks Tiff. 'Night. 'Night Cloud" He replied. 

"You too" With that, the couple left. 

The next day, Squall awoke to see that the kids were already up and watching cartoons. They had made their way into the family room where he slept. He sat up and let his eyes adjust to the light. Squall suddenly noticed that his bed was now full of three small children. 

"Mornin' Uncle Scall! Merry Christmas!!" Ben exclaimed happily. "I love cartoons! Do you? My favourite is Dot the dog. Do you like Dot the dog? I like lots of others too! I like the Power Fighters and Chuckie Bear and Toby the Tom Cat" [hints to the name Dot the dog. Sound familiar? Take away the D and replace it with an Sp] 

{He's not so shy anymore is he! Little motor-mouth. Just like Rinoa!} Squall chuckled to himself as he got lost in his thoughts. {I'm going to do my best as a dad. I hope I can handle it.} He returned from his thoughts as a warm hand slid over the top shoulder and down over his chest. He turned to face the hand's owner and was greeted with an soft kiss. 

"Merry Christmas Rinoa. Did you sleep well?" He smiled as he thought back to the beautiful sight he saw the previous night. Timmy and Aeris moved and sat on the floor so Rinoa had room to be near Squall. 

"I was comfortable, but lonely" she replied sliding into his bed. 

"You had the 3 children! How could you be lonely?!?" He argued. 

"You know what I mean" she laughed while playfully hitting him on the shoulder. "I missed you" Rinoa pulled him close for a snuggle. "I love you..." 

"Look Aunty 'Noa! Dot the dog is on! Do you like Dot the dog?!?" Ben asked excitedly. 

"I was just asked the same question." Squall laughed. 

"Merry Christmas guys!" Rinoa said cheerfully to the kids. How come you aren't opening all of your presents yet?" 

"Mummy said we can't until we eat our breakfast" Aeris said sadly. 

"Breakfast is ready" Selphie called from the kitchen. The small children raced out of the family room almost quicker than light. 

"Looks like we get some private time now" Rinoa said seductively. "You've been a bad boy, and now you're going to have to pay" She furiously began to tickle Squall at his sides making him squirm in every direction possible. 

"What... did... I... do... that... was... bad?" Squall asked between his gasping breaths. Rinoa suddenly stopped tickling and looked up thoughtfully. 

"I dunno. It just sounded good at that moment" she laughed at her own stupidity "We'd better head to the kitchen before Selphie kicks our butts!" 

When the couple had arrived, everyone was enjoying their breakfast by their wonderful cook. They had exchanged 'Merry Christmas' with each other, when Selphie pointed to 2 untouched plates on the bench. Squall and Rinoa took their plates and sat down at the table. Squall dug in, but Rinoa just played with her food. 

"Not hungry, honey?" Tifa asked. "Selphie's food aint that bad!" Selphie gave Tifa pretend evil eyes and Tifa poked her tongue. 

"No..no. I didn't say that. I know Selphie's food tastes great, but I'm just not real hungry. That's all" she replied. 

"Don't you stop eating there girl! Gotta keep your strength up for Squall JR." Cloud said with a mouth full of food. 

"Geez! Get some manners Cloud!" Tifa said, playfully tapping him on the arm. 

"Mummy!! We're finished! Can we open our presents now?!?" The children yelled. 

"Ok! Look for the ones from Santa and you can open those ones. We'll be in soon." 

After Rinoa had attempted to eat, they all sat in the family room and watched the little ones. As Aeris read the name tags and gave the presents to it's owner, the adults exchanged their gifts. 

"Wow! Look Mummy! Aunty 'Noa got me a DOT THE DOG TEDDY!!!!!!" Ben cried ecstatically. 

"Daddy! Uncle Squall got me The Further Adventures Of Garnet Til Alexandros 17th!!!" Aeris exclaimed. 

"MUMMY!! Aunty Selphie got me a POWER FIGHTERS SUIT!!!! I can dress like a POWER FIGHTER!!!" Timmy screamed. 

After all the excitement had started to wear off, the children examined each others gifts. 

"This is the BEST Christmas ever!" They all exclaimed in unison, which made them laugh. 

Eventually it became time to go home. As Squall was hugging Selphie goodbye, he noticed something different. As she pulled away, he caught her hand. A solitary diamond ring had been put on her left hand. 

"Why didn't you tell us!" Squall exclaimed. "So who is it?!?" 

"Well, like you guys know, Irvine and I didn't work out. A while after that I was re-met with an old acquaintance and it just bloomed from there" 

"You still didn't tell us who! Why wasn't he here last night?" Rinoa asked excitedly. 

"I didn't tell you because it's Seifer. That's why he wasn't here last night" Squall's jaw almost hit the floor. Tifa and Cloud exchanged glances. 

"Who's Seifer?" Tifa asked. 

"Let's just say it's someone who has a bad past. Congratulations Selphie, you must really love each other, I dunno why you could love that basta-" Squall was cut off by Rinoa. 

"Squall don't be so rude! Congratulations Selphie. Tell Seifer that I'm very happy for the both of you." 

"Ok. You guys have lost us, but good luck from the Strife family." Tifa said to Selphie. "Sorry but we'd really better get going" 

"Yeah. Sorry to keep you. Have a safe trip!" Selphie waved as the Strife car disappeared down the road. 

"Tell Seifer to give me a call one day. We should catch up. Make sure we get an invite to the wedding! Bye!" Rinoa called as she walked towards their car. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Hey peoples! This is my longest chapter yet. I'm SO sleepy! Anyways, please Read and review like all of you wonderful people always do. Any comments or suggestions are welcome, but if you're are going to be mean, please word it as nice as you can. [Luckily, I haven't had any mean ones yet! I hope it stays that way!] 

Hugs and Kisses, 

~Zidane's NEW Princess~ 

"Move over Garnet! I'm his NEW princess and he's MINE NOW!" - Quote from me while I was having an argument with Dagger last week. Just coz she's Queen she thinks she can do whatever she wants! That bitch is gonna pay! No one tries to take my man away from me and gets away with it! 

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   [2]: index.fic?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=8850



	6. Baby Alliance Arrives...

Body ~How Life Changes - Chapter 6~ 

Before Squall knew it, he was grasping onto the side of a hospital bed that was being dragged furiously through the delivery room doors. 

"Rinoa, Honey" he replied in a soft tone. "You're gonna be ok. I'm right here" His voice changed from soft to petrified as the doctor unveiled many extremely frightening metallic objects on a tray. 

Rinoa didn't scream like you see in the movies, all she did was cry softly from the pain. Her knight was there and that was all that mattered. Squall had the job of keeping her cool by wetting her face with a face cloth and holding her hand. Not once did she let go of it. 

Only 2 hours later, baby Alliance Edea Leonhart arrived into the world. Rinoa held her daughter dearly. Alliance opened her eyes to take a peak at the big bright world. Squall leaned in to see her tiny face. Two big blue eyes stared up at Squall and at that moment, he knew his daughter had stolen his heart away. 

{She's a piece of me...} He reached over to touch her hand. With amazing strength, she took a grasp of his finger and would not let it go. Squall laughed nervously as he did not know what to do. He tried to pull away, but she held on tighter. Rinoa gave in to her daughter's wishes and handed her to Squall. He gingerly held the baby and stroked her tiny face. She slowly closed her eyes and drifted to sleep. Rinoa smiled though her tear stined face. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A few days later, Rinoa and Alliance were allowed home. Squall had picked them both up from the hospital and it was their first time as a family in the house. Alliance's room was beautifully painted and was perfect for her. By the time the baby had got her first glance of her room, sleepiness was already taking over. Rinoa carefully put Alliance in her crib and tip-toed over to the baby monitor. She switched it on and softly left the room. While Rinoa was closing the door, she felt two strong hands grab her around the waist. Knowing it was Squall, she relaxed into his embrace. 

"I've missed you so much" he whispered as he left a trail of kisses down her neck. 

"I missed you too, but we're both home now" she smiled at the though of their new child. 

Rinoa turned to face her true love. His eyes were full of happiness. He cupped her face and leant in for a soft kiss. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Ally..." Rinoa heard Squall whisper their daughter's name and smiled. It was around 2am in the morning and Rinoa had awoken when Squall left the bed. He was as quiet as a mouse, but she rightly felt his presence had gone. Earlier, the couple had decided to move the crib into their room to keep a good eye on Ally. Rinoa slowly crept out of bed and walked over to her husband in the corner of the room. She slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. 

"Good morning sweetie. Why aren't you asleep?" She whispered in his ear. 

"Hey... I couldn't keep my eyes off this angel" he smiled. Squall softly touched Ally's face. Rinoa knew that Squall cared deeply for his daughter and was thankful for it. 

"Come on Squall. Lets go to sleep hey" she whispered. Squall nodded in agreement and they both returned to bed. 

When Rinoa awoke the next morning, she was shocked to see that she was once again alone in bed. Squall was once again with their daughter, but this time, he held her gingerly in his arms while being seated on the floor. 

"Geez!" Rinoa said to Squall he slightly jumped at the noise that broke his silence. "You know, if she was 22 and single I would be jelous at the amount of time your spending with her!" Squall laughed at Rinoa's comment. 

"I still love you Angel... Come sit down with us" As she walked towards him, Rinoa noticed that Squall looked truely contented. 

"You look so happy" Rinoa said to Squall as she layed down and rested her head on his crossed legs. She looked up Squall's upside down face and laughed. "Reminds me of how you used to be... A smile upside-down is a frown. Your smile is so big that for me it looks like a huge frown" 

"You know... We've got the best baby in the world... All she does is sleep and she never cries" Squall said to his wife. 

"Wait til she's older. I bet our little Ally's got a good set of lungs to scream with" Rinoa sat up. Ally's big blue eyes slowly opened to see what all the movement was about. "I wonder what she's thinking" Rinoa pondered out loud. 

Squall slowly leant over and kissed Rinoa on the forehead which made her smile. 

"She's probably asking herself how did she get such a beautiful mother" 

Ally slowly closed her eyes and a picture of her parents was stuck in her mind. Those were two faces she would never forget... 

THE END 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Authors Note : I've decided that this is the last chapter of this wonderful story. I'm kinda sad it's over. I know the ending's not great., but thanks to everyone that reviewed and said nice things to me! If anyone wants to use the name Alliance, feel free to, just a small bit of credit for the name would be cool though. 


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